The invention relates to a closure for a seat belt having a release button movably mounted on a frame and provided for a latch that can be swiveled between a locking position and an opening position around a swiveling axis, and a blocking element that can assume a blocking position in which it blocks the latch in its locking position.
Such a closure is known, for example, from DE 44 27 011. With this closure, the blocking element is mounted so that it can move in one direction in which the acceleration by a seat belt tensioner also occurs. Therefore, in order to ensure that the closure can withstand the tensioner force, a likewise movably mounted locking element is needed which prevents a shifting of the blocking element from its blocking position in the case of high acceleration values. However, in view of the many components used, this arrangement is relatively complex and, because of the components that are movably mounted, namely, the locking member and blocking element, it is failure-prone over the long run.
The objective of the invention is to create a simply structured closure for seat belts that is reliably secured against unintentional opening, even at the high acceleration rates that occur when a seat belt tensioner is activated.
For this purpose, with a closure of the type described above, it is provided that the blocking element is mounted on the frame so as to pivot around an axis that passes through its center of gravity, so that it can be swiveled by the release button out of its blocking position into a release position. Since the blocking element is mounted on its center of gravity, it is not subjected to any torque upon acceleration of the closure, so that it remains in its blocking position and the latch is securely blocked. Moreover, a pivoted component is less failure-prone than a movably mounted component since, with a movably mounted component, the bearing can more easily become dirty over the course of time, thereby leading to greater friction.
Further advantageous embodiments of the invention ensue from the subordinate claims.